memeorandum: Democrats: Stop Panicking (Stuart Stevens/New York Times)

8:15 PM ET, June 29, 2024

Top Items:

Stuart Stevens / New York Times:

Democrats: Stop Panicking — As a former Republican who spent decades pointing out flaws in the Democratic Party, I watch the current Democratic panic over President Biden's debate performance with a mix of bafflement and nostalgia. — It's baffling that so many Democrats are failing …

Discussion: Balloon Juice and USA Today

The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali:

Let's Ask Trump To Leave The Race — Have you read the post debate hot takes? Here's the Editorial Board of The New York Times: … That sentiment was echoed across the opinion pages. Here's a screenshot from Friday night. — Other respected commentators, many of them friends …

Axios:

Behind the Curtain: Biden oligarchy will decide fate … These allies alone hold sway over decisions big and small in Biden's life and presidency. — The president engaged in no organized process outside his family in deciding to run for a second term, the N.Y. Times' Peter Baker reports.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Hill, Mediaite and New Jersey Online

Alex Thompson / Axios:

Two Joe Bidens: The night America saw the other one — The past 36 hours showcased two Joe Bidens: the veteran president rallying voters in a swing state, and an 81-year-old man struggling to string thoughts together in a debate. … - Internally, many aides have seen flashes of an absent-minded Biden …

Discussion: HotAir, Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, New York Post, RedState, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Mediaite, New York Times, Drezner's World, The Post Millennial, Twitchy, The Gateway Pundit, BizPac Review, AllSides Balanced, Politico, Raw Story and Bloomberg

Rebecca Picciotto / CNBC:

Biden campaign fundraises $27 million after first debate … The Biden campaign has raised $27 million starting from the day of the first presidential debate through Friday evening, a campaign spokesperson announced on Saturday. — The number comes in the middle of President Joe Biden's …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Fox News, New York Post and The Guardian

John McCormick / Wall Street Journal:

Haley Warns Trump to Prepare for Younger Rival, Renews Call for Cognitive Tests — Former GOP presidential contender says Democrats should move on from Biden — Nikki Haley, the runner-up to Donald Trump in this year's GOP nomination race, said Democrats need to dump President Biden …

Discussion: The Hill, The Floridian, Washington Examiner, The Virginian-Pilot, Althouse, USA Today, Channel 4 News, Washington Post, Semafor, CBS News and BizPac Review

Kevin Manahan / New Jersey Online:

Biden supporters to New York Times: ‘F— off!’ — The New York Times, after months of accusations of slanted coverage of the presidential race and whining that President Joe Biden refused to sit for an interview, made a startling declaration after Thursday night's debate:

Discussion: Fox News, Breitbart, The Post Millennial, New York Post, Raw Story, Newsbusters, AllSides Balanced, BizPac Review, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, Forbes, NBC News, Blaze Media, Politico and CNBC

Politico:
‘The vibes are really bad’ — Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people …

Discussion: RedState, WHDH-TV and Washington Post

Morning Consult Pro:
More Democratic Voters Than Not Want Biden Replaced After Debate Performance

Discussion: Politico, Data For Progress, Forbes, Axios, Daily Caller News Foundation, New York Magazine, The Post Millennial, Washington Examiner, New Jersey Online, The Daily Caller, Fox News and Raw Story

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Biden tries to calm nervous Democrats. It won't happen instantly.

Discussion: ABC7

Katie Rogers / New York Times:
Jill Biden Could Make or Break Biden's Campaign. She Says She's All In.

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, New York Post, Page Six, Plain Dealer, RedState, USA Today, BizPac Review, Axios and The Spectator World

New York Times:
‘Is It Too Late?’ Four Writers on What Democrats Should Do About Biden.

Axios:
Scoop: Schumer's pre-debate fears come true

Discussion: The Post Millennial, The Times of Israel, The Daily Caller, New York Times, Rolling Stone, USA Today, The Maine Wire, Raw Story, Washington Times, America Magazine, Politico and Fox News

The Philadelphia Inquirer:

To serve his country, Donald Trump should leave the raceBoard — President Joe Biden's debate performance was a disaster. His disjointed responses and dazed look sparked calls for him to drop out of the presidential race.But lost in the hand wringing was Donald Trump's usual bombastic litany of lies …

Discussion: The Wrap, Mock Paper Scissors, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Raw Story

Sudiksha Kochi / USA Today:

‘So bad’: Bob Woodward calls Biden's debate performance political h-bomb — WASHINGTON − Bob Woodward knows a little bit about political scandals that could bring down the president. — The famous journalist, who helped break the 1972 Watergate scandal, told MSNBC Friday …

Discussion: New York Post, RedState and Instapundit

Eric Berger / The Guardian:

Republicans use cannabis smell complaints as ‘excuse’ to oppose legalization, advocates say — Norml argues lawmakers exaggerate scent complaints to support policies banning public use of marijuana — Some Republican lawmakers, including Florida governor Ron DeSantis …

The Verge:

What SCOTUS just did to broadband, the right to repair, the environment, and more … Since the New Deal era, the bulk of the functioning US government is the administrative state — think the acronym soup of agencies like the EPA, FCC, FTC, FDA, and so on. Even when Capitol Hill is not mired …

Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:

Memo Reveals Trump's Plan to Slash the Size of the G.O.P. Platform — In another sign of Donald J. Trump's grip on the Republican Party, his team wants the party's platform to be a succinct pro-Trump document, not an “unnecessarily verbose treatise.” — Donald J. Trump's top advisers …

Discussion: ABC News, Washington Post and Raw Story

MSNBC:

‘People need to wake up’: Rep. Crockett pushes back against Biden debate criticism — Rep. Jasmine Crockett joins Ali Velshi to react to Biden's debate performance, urging Democrats to avoid unnecessary panicking. “It's almost like we're scared of our shadow sometimes,” Crockett says.

Discussion: Channel 4 News and Lewiston Sun Journal

New York Times:

Biden Administration Opposes Surgery for Transgender Minors — The statement followed a report in The Times that a federal health official had urged the removal of age minimums from treatment guidelines for transgender minors. — The Biden administration said this week …